The Definition of Irish
'Yer not Irish', she said,
clinging to the bar
for grim breath
Like there was nothing more
she could detest
The intricacies of history
skittling her mind
with the drink
Staring desperately into the black
of her handbag for fags
Rummaging for a word
that would make her unique
Herself alone
In rage she snaps
her exaggerated clasps
with a hysterical laugh
Her unitary state
hung, drawn and bordered
Petrified of other realities
Closed as a dissident
Cul de sac
A Green Union Jack
----------------------------
@ Paul Larkin
Madden's Bar, Belfast – September 2010